Chapter 115 - (Hundred) Fifteen: Voices

The more Kristina spoke, the more Leo's eyes squinted, fighting to retain the smile on his face for obvious reasons. Hurting a pregnant woman would be extreme, especially when the person in question was his girlfriend's sister. But for someone who fed people to dogs and enjoyed it, the situation was coming off a little too triggering for him. Yet Kristina didn't stop trying to aggravate him. Pushing him to do something so his standing with Becca would worsen. 

It was arduous but he restrained himself. He had gone too far to let everything go down the drain over a mere provocation. 

Leo taught when she left, the rage her threat incited would leave too. Wrong, he was so wrong. Well, she did leave but the turmoil of anger in him stayed as he kept staring at the door she went through, unblinking before jutting up from his chair and heading for the washroom.

He stood next to the sink, in front of the mirror looking at his reflection while his reflection stared back at him. At least in his head, it did. It watched him, always. 

Turning on the water, Leo washed his hands then his face, and sighed. He was ridiculous to ever think things would be any different now that he had authority, that things would get easier. It didn't happen, nothing changed. Not in his life at least. 

In his life, things were weird, dark, scary, and it remained that way. Difficult. He must have been delusional to think anything would be different now.

People still challenged him. He was still the freak, nothing more. A living breathing hazard.

Hours at work crawled by at a maddening pace, occasionally feeling like time was at a standstill but the only thing that kept the experience tolerable was the way Leo filled his mind with thoughts of Becca. Things eventually picked up though. More work, meetings and it helped keep him busy. So busy that he ended up leaving the office late.

Leo eyed his wristwatch as he got into his car. A quarter past nine. Becca should be home by now, waiting for him or perhaps even sleeping. It was kinda late after all.

He got home and steered straight upstairs. Slowly— quietly— he opened the door to his room and plodded inside. Just as he suspected, Becca was already fast asleep. 

Becca had a habit of going to bed early. Unlike him, she never had trouble falling asleep.

Leo took gentle steps towards the bed where she laid peacefully and sat on it, next to her. Staring at her.

His hand ached to touch her and he did, the urge too strong for him to resist. He tucked away the strands of hair that cascaded her face then went on to take away the book she clutched onto and took a look at the cover.

House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski.

" You were reading while waiting for me, weren't you little kitten?" Leo whispered as he placed the book on the nightstand before returning his attention to Becca. His fingers feathered her cheeks as he caressed her.

She stirred and his fingers seized any form of motion until she relaxed again before continuing what he was doing.

Leo's gaze soon fell on her lips, brushing it with his thumb as though feeling compelled to do so, and his lips followed in tow. The sheer sensation of her lips on his, fueled his insatiable hunger for her.

It was official. He was obsessed with everything about Rebecca Ramus. He liked that he was and wasn't afraid to admit it. Precisely why he would never let anything take her away from him. Whether family or friend, nothing would keep them apart.

Leo managed to pull away from her before the voices got the best of him. The voices in his head, most people refer it to as a conscience, a sense of good and bad. The little voice in the back of a person's head. The only difference was while other people's voices tell them both right and wrong, Leo's just says wrong. Negative, self-indulgent. Never anything good. 

Those same voices haunted him, trapped him, stripped him of a sense of empathy, and somewhat enslaved him. Becca truly was the only sense of freedom he had in his life.

He watched her for a while more before getting up and heading to the bathroom to take a shower. Once he was done, he crawled into the covers and laid next to Becca. Slowly, he veered closer and spooned her, making sure to retain a loose grip around her so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable. 

" To them, I will never be good enough but I will keep you either way." He placed a kiss on her neck, causing her to stir in his arms. She moaned as she turned to face him, yawning as her eyes slowly opened.

" You're home." She said with a yawn and Leo hummed in response. " How was work?"

She asked, curling her arms around his torso.

" Work was… eventful. What about you?" 

" Work was good," Becca answered, resting her sleepy head on him. " Kris is back in the country."

" I know." Leo stirred a bit so she would lay more comfortably. " I've heard."

" She wants me to have lunch with her one of these days," Becca muttered and another yawn followed.

" And what did you tell her?" Leo's eyes never left her for a second, hardening as he anticipated her response. So this is it. Kristina's threat. Her blackmail. To tell Becca everything if he didn't succumb to her. That was the basis of all this, wasn't it?

" Of course, I said yes. She's my sister." Her eyes drooped as the soothing warmth of Leo's body lulled her to sleep. 

It was already obvious, Becca would agree in a heartbeat. She was too sweet to even dream of rejecting Kristina's invitation. She was an angel while him? Not so much. It wasn't like he could just keep Becca away from her sister or even tell her to stay away but one thing was for sure. If Kristina tried to screw up his efforts— brainwash his Becca— then something would have to be done.

A ringing sound echoed, snatching Becca out of her sleep. Sluggishly, her eyes opened and she peered at the room before her gaze fell on the man lying next to her. His eyes shut but Becca knew he wasn't sleeping. She smiled at the feeling of his arm around her waist. Just then the noise surged into her ears again. She jerked and turned to the direction it was coming from. Her phone. It was ringing.

She stretched out her hand and picked her phone from the nightstand then glanced at the caller ID. It was her stepmother. She answered the call immediately.

Checking the caller ID was something she made sure to do no matter how sleepy she was, not wanting a particular Leo-related memory to repeat itself.

" Good Morning, Mother," Becca greeted, holding the phone to her ear. " You called so early."

" Do I need a specific time to call my daughter?" Regina retorted, her pettiness in its full glory and Becca chuckled.

" Of course not." She adjusted her position and Leo groaned in disapproval when she tried to shift away from his arms. " What's up?"

" I'm at your apartment building but the receptionist said you moved out," Regina said and shock scudded through Becca. 

She blanched, every ounce of sleep in her eyes vanishing in an instant.

" You are at my apartment building? Why are you even in New York?" 

Horror churned inside Becca as she sprang into a sitting position and Leo opened his eyes.

" I came to visit you of course," Regina answered. " Why didn't you tell me that you moved out?"

" What's wrong?" Leo asked with brows crumpled in confusion and Becca turned to him.

" My stepmother is at my old apartment." She held the phone away from her mouth as she spoke so Regina wouldn't hear anything.

Confusion plugged into Leo, clearly showing on his face. That meant only Kristina knew how deep his relationship with Becca was. It was no wonder he hadn't received any death threats from Johnny yet. But it doesn't change the fact that their situation would only get more complicated henceforth.

" Why didn't you tell her that you were with me now?" Leo asked and guilt shadowed Becca's face.

" It slipped my mind."

" Really? It slipped?" He asked incredulously, finding what Becca told him a little absurd. People don't forget to tell their parents that they are currently living with their lover. Such things don't just slip.

" I'm sorry, okay?" Becca shot him a pleading look.

" Hello? Becca," Regina's voice called out from the other line and Becca's heart lurched to her mouth.

" Yes, I can hear you, mother." Becca held her phone back to her ear.

" Send me your new address, I want to come visit you." 

" Give me the phone." 

Becca stared at Leo and her throat bobbed as he gestured to her to give him the phone. Reluctantly, she did.

" Do you know what time it is now, Regina?" Leo asked as soon as he got hold of the phone and the smile on Regina's face morphed into a scowl. A deep one. The voice was too familiar not to recognize. Leonardo!

" You!"